From the Western Purchase area to the Central Bluegrass region to the
Eastern mountains and coal fields, one thing is certain: Kentucky has
excellent physicians who truly care for the health and well-being of the
people of this Commonwealth. This fact was made evident to me yet again as I spoke at the Kentucky Medical Association's (KMA) Annual Meeting in Louisville last week.

It was great getting to see some old friends such as Dr. Carlos
Hernandez, former Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Public
Health, and Dr. Greg Cooper, Family Practice physician from the
Cynthiana Area. It's always good to reconnect with old colleagues that
you share such a strong relationship with. It was also a delight to meet
other physicians from across Kentucky, many who are graduates of UK
College of Medicine. The topic of this year's meeting was near and dear
to my heart: "Health Reform's Impact on Kentucky Physicians."

It was a pleasure being part of such a distinguished panel, comprised
of UK's own Dr. Kevin Pearce, professor and interim chair of Family and
Community Medicine and member of the Kentucky Academy of Family
Physicians, and Douglas McSwain, a Lexington attorney from the firm
Sturgill, Turner, Barker & Moloney, PLLC.

My portion of our presentation covered updates on implementation of
the Patient Protection Act and Affordable Health Care Act which were
passed into legislation in 2010. This massive piece of legislation is so
multifaceted that many physicians are oftentimes (and rightly so) left
wondering what the exact implications will be on their careers and
practices. I hope that after leaving our presentation, physicians had a
clearer understanding of what they can do to ensure that the health care
overhaul becomes an opportunity to embrace change rather than a
stumbling block.

It is valid to question if there will be enough physicians and
medical professionals to provide proper care for this group of
newly-insured individuals in addition to those that were already
insured. Specifically, in Kentucky, rural areas are already struggling
to retain physicians. What will the implications of this be? What are
our options to make health care delivery more efficient and cost
effective?